Indiana congressman Mark Souder (R) is resigning after admitting he had an affair with an aid. PZ summarized my shock perfectly:
“He’s one of those conservative, abstinence-only sorts of politicians who
uses family, family, family to flog his politics for him, so it’s no surprise
that the reason he’s quitting is that he got caught with his pants down in an
affair.But sit down, here’s the part you will not believe: it was a heterosexual
fling! Maybe he should get a medal from his party for confounding
expectations.”
Good job, Indiana! We’re so great at defeating stereotypes!
Of course, I can’t rejoice too much. Knowing my state, he’s just going to get replaced by another conservative hypocrite.
O_o Hetero!? Those damn people are ruining this country!
I am more shocked that a politician is resigning over an affair!
Freethought Fort Wayne, one of the two Atheist groups in Souder’s district, happens to be doing their public access live call in show “Dial an Atheist” tonight. Fort Wayne area viewers can catch it at 7pm Comcast channel 57, Verizon FIOS 27. Everyone else will have to wait for it to be posted here: http://freethoughtfortwayne.or…
It is amazing to me how OFTEN this keeps happening to these “Family Values” politicians.
But wait! It gets even better!!! Souder did a video with his mistress about abstinence education. The hypocrisy is reaching record levels.
The biggest problem with so-called conservatives (even by themselves like Mark Souder is that they don’t understand conservatism, and just want to control other people. A real conservative has nothing to say about sexual matters as related to public life or laws, because the real conservative knows it is none of his or her business what other people do that doesn’t cause injury or harm to people who are not involved
I especially liked how he blamed the need to resign on “the poisonous atmosphere of Washington” spotlighting his hypocrisy, instead of allowing him to sweep it under a rug like they might have in a sunnier, happier place.
A republan who isn’t gay! I guess they’ve found their next presidential candidate.
I am quite shocked it was a hetero affair. Maybe it was really a threesome with an underage asian boy?
I’d keep the congressman on if he wore a tunic of camel hair (ala John the Baptist) and carry a cross ( a big one ) around.That alone would be worth the price of admission!http://laughinginpurgatory.blo…
Hi from Australia. I am so glad we got the convicts and you got the puritans.
Maybe he’s a lesbian
The best part of the whole thing is that the woman with whom he had the fling was the one he hired to help him make the Abstinence-Only videos.
Well, to be fair, he doesn’t have to practice Abstinence Only anymore because he is married.
It is worth mentioning (and repeating more publically) that is is the same Souder who directed his staff to write up the biased and misleading congressional “report” on the stealth creationist plot to get a journal article (the Sternberg case). The report was : Souder, Mark (Staff report for U.S. Representative Mark Souder) United States House Of Representatives Committee On Government Reform (2006-12-11), Intolerance And The Politicization Of Science At The Smithsonian Smithsonian’s Top Officials Permit The Demotion And Harassment Of Scientist Skeptical Of Darwinian Evolution Staff Report Prepared For The Hon. Mark Souder Chairman, Subcommittee On Criminal Justice, Drug Policy And Human Resources
See, this is why I can’t run for government office, because I’d end up just telling reporters at a press conference that I’m in a progressive marriage and if they want to “Get it on” let’s go have some coffee and see if there’s any chemistry. I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t be elected anyway, though, on account of my whole “blow-up-the-planet” platform. But is that really any worse that the Republicans OR the Democrats at this point?
The truth is that the only reason the R’s resign when they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar is they hope they can “shame” the D’s into doing the same. PR’s a bitch!
Hi Jeffrey – wonder where you get your absolute definition of what ‘conservatism’ is? Did god tell you?My view is that conservatives are just selfish buggers who love controlling people. Seems to fit nicely with both the reality and the polemic. But that’s only a view.Just saying…
I think he should have said, “So I’m a hypocrite. Find me a politician who isn’t.”
100% agree with you. That is puritan!
me too. coincidentally, here in the Netherlands we had kind of the same thing. A national politician (‘christian democrat’, meaning ‘rather conservative’) stepped down because of an affair. Saying it is because he needed to rebuild his family situation, but clearly the reason was his party (who rely on heterosexual two-child families) didn’t want him anymore.
Seriously, I don’t even understand why this is news to anyone. People love to jump on the soap-operaesque drama train.
It strikes me as childish that every time this happens (some) Atheists revel in it, like it’s a “point for their team.” Nobody wins when something like this happens, no matter what their purported values/politics are.
…and of course it’s all the fault of that harlot Washington DC.
You know, while I’m absolutely all-for generally toxic people being driven from office by shame and guilt, there’s a part of me that is incredibly disappointed that such a personal aspect of anyone’s life is up to such microscopic examination. I may or may not also be still harboring a politicrush on Bill Clinton, and may or may not still be sad that some good old fashioned head got him impeached.